Intolerance of uncertainty and emotion dysregulation mediate relations between fear of negative evaluation and problematic social media use severity

Problematic social media use (PSMU) has been associated with social anxiety symptoms, including fear of negative evaluation (FNE), across the literature. Less is known about constructs mediating relations between fear of negative evaluation and PSMU, such as emotion dysregulation and intolerance of uncertainty. Given the high prevalence of social media usage and social nature of these sites, and their high usage in emerging adults, we explored relationships between FNE and fear of positive evaluation (FPE) with PSMU severity, and whether intolerance of uncertainty and emotion dysregulation mediated these relationships. The sample of 372 undergraduate students aged 18–25 (M = 19.9, SD = 4.3) at a Midwestern U.S. University (65.6% or n = 244 female) completed a web survey to assess the relations between fears of evaluation, emotion dysregulation, intolerance of uncertainty, and PSMU severity in a cross-sectional design. Structural equation modeling results demonstrated significant direct pathways between intolerance of uncertainty and emotion dysregulation with FNE (β = .67; β = .59, respectively; ps < .01) and PSMU severity (β = .30, β = .29, respectively; ps < .01). Indirect effect testing indicated that intolerance of uncertainty (β = .21, p < .001) and emotion dysregulation (β = .17, p < .001) mediated relations between FNE (but not FPE) and PSMU severity. Results provide support for the mediating roles of intolerance of uncertainty and emotion dysregulation in the relationship between FNE and PSMU severity. Results are discussed in context of prior work on fear of evaluation, PSMU, and relevant transdiagnostic psychopathology processes.